The Odyssey of Mattie Agonistes

So, this week is my company's annual meeting -- held in San Diego this year -- and I should be there.  But, I am home.  Here is my story:

I was skeptical I would get out of the CLE Monday with the weather, but the snow seemed to clear Sunday night (mostly) and the flight (Cleveland, Charlotte, San Diego) was NOT cancelled.  So, mindful of the less-than-salted roads, I set off for the airport -- had to park long-term as my sister's driveway was not plowed.  First time I ever used it, but...whatever.  I also decided to pack my winter coat in the suitcase once I arrived at the airport (but I kept my gloves and lock deicer).  While driving, the flight was delayed a bit, then a bit more.  OK; I had some time, and I figured I would try to eat and dined at Bar Symon, supposedly good -- and it was.  I forgot how tasty the rosemary fries are!  Anyways, they kept pushing back the Charlotte flight, and eventually it was pushed back to make me late in Charlotte.  The helpful gate agent was able to get me to O'Hare on a 3PM flight and a similar connection to San Diego.  Fine!

Not a huge fan of the quick hop, but it was smooth.  When I arrived at O'Hare, my flight to SDN was delayed by like three more hours -- to an 11PM departure.  Oi!  And it kept getting delayed -- 11:30, 12, 12:30; 1 AM.  They told us that they couldn't find a flight crew for it; we pointed out this was beyond redeye time and we would need only one person to give us blankets and pillows.  Then the flight was cancelled -- at 1 AM! -- and then there was a mad rush to find a gate agent.  I then decided that going to San Diego tomorrow would be fooling -- I would miss half the meeting and then have to fly home, and I have real work to do.  So I decided to go home.  The gate staff gave a bunch of us some passes to call someone.  I did, and I soon discovered the only open flight was a 4:30 PM one.  But, I could fly standby at 8AM.  By this time, all gate agents were gone, so I broke down, went to the 24/7 Dunkin, got a late dinner, and tried to sleep/read/walk around.  

Morning came and I found a helpful gate agent (to be sure the staff was mostly helpful) and there were indeed seats on the 8AM flight, so I moved myself to that and there was a nice and smooth flight home.  But -- and I expected this -- my suitcase was NOT on the carousel.  No one at American seemed to know where it was, as it had yet to land.  I despair of seeing it again!  Anyways, thankful that I kept my gloves, I took a shivery walk to the long-term lot, where -- mercy of mercies -- the Behemoth started up.  The roads were mostly good; 480 a bit off, 77 beautiful, and you can tell the difference between Parma and other suburbs.  I stopped at Walgreen's to pick up prescriptions and then at Arby's to get the $7.49 box special (pretty good; been a while since I had an Arby's roast beef!).  Then home to eat, shower, change clothes, and brush my teeth.  I was feeling fine now but am quite sleepy though not so tired to plan on watching J!.

All I can say is that was....largely a waste?  I mean, I skipped the meeting, missed a day and a half of real work, spent cash (to be reimbursed but...), stressed myself out, and am out a suitcase full of stuff including my razor (I have a spare but still), some library books, my prayer cards, and some clothes.    I did eat at a place on the list and read all of Rick Atkinson's The British are Coming (quite good, as expected) and started the next, but...sigh.  I do not think I will do this again if there are weather-related travel issues; my ardor for being a good coworker offset by solid practicality.

‘Brain the size of a walnut’: Bessent goes off on Newsom - POLITICO
This is pretty good, and -- as I so often say -- we are blessed to have him on our team.  

Snow day

Not only did I not leave the house today, but the only time I even thought about going outside was when I threw my orange peels and apple cores outside, and that was quite enough -- not that windy, but very cold and there was plenty of snow.  My plow person arrived about 4, and it was most impressive, as there was a LOT of snow; I can easily see 8 or nine inches (I will measure tomorrow).  Supposedly it will end by midnight and hopefully they can plow clear.  I was fascinated by all the stores that announced they were closing at 4; I guess it is good to do it during the break, but...making people go in during the first/worst round...that's ok.

So, another person has been killed in Minneapolis.  On the one hand, we don't want people -- especially actual American citizens -- getting killed.  On the other hand... I am not sure that was is going on, protest-wise, is...legitimate?  Running up to someone with a gun is not exactly a wise choice, and I suspect that you really can't tell in real time whether it is a camera/phone or gun.  Certainly, a threat assessment is going to be...fragmented.  Both sides are correct in that they need to de-escalate, but will they?  How can you?  If the feds pull out it will be seen (rightfully) as a retreat, and if the protestors go home... the same.  Not that you can negotiate with these people.  I give the Administration credit for the aggressive defense of their actions, but...then again, with the press, it is a hostile reaction across the board.

The Elite College Suing Its Own Star Quarterback - WSJ
This story gets better and better!  To be sure, there is something to this; if you give a bunch of money to someone, you expect them to stick around, and if they want to leave, they should pay, right?  In some ways, this is a normal business deal...of course, it isn't, for now.  Again, the NCAA should be the one setting rules about this, but... in the meantime, the lawyers will rule.

Have We Become so Cynical, so Jaded, That $9 Billion in Fraud Against the Taxpayer Isn't a Huge Issue? – PJ Media

Many have said that I am jaded and cynical, so I saw this headline and had to dig into the article... and this is largely correct.  There is something to be said for the right-wing argument that all of the protests are ginned up to protect the money machine.  I realize we are well-past the Everett Dirksen comment about a billion here, a billion there, soon you are talking real money...but if there is not an accounting, and punishment, and reform... 

Change is in the air...

Interesting day today -- I was doing stuff I normally do not do.  First was OC duty -- we decided that we couldn't close and thus, despite the cold, we were open.  I woke up early and packed on the layers -- two long sleeve shirts, two hoodies (double hoods are warmer), a sweatshirt, and my winter coat.  And... we needed people in the back to pack bags and thus I spent the day in unheated but warmer garage.  We were not that busy at first, but ended with 94.  People didn't show up early -- and we barely had 10 walkers -- but after a while I think people realized it was ok enough to get out.  So that was a change!

Then I went to lunch; The Pierogi Lady had a popup in the Village and I decided to check it out.  She was running out of some pierogi but I picked up the Polish trio for lunch and some frozen pierogi for later.  The halushki was ok -- way top much pepper, a shame -- but the pierogi and the chicken paprikash (we all know how I love that) was very solid, and for $16... it was quite worth it.  The only downside it was all takeout, and I prefer to eat it there, pop-up or not.  

Home for a couple of hours, where I caught up on stuff and did some things, and then I decided -- for the first time in a decade -- to go to Saturday Mass.  One, the weather, and two, I have some work to do tomorrow, and I didn't want to stress driving to and from Church.  I ended up being the EM -- just like the usual -- and there were several of my fellow 8:30 Massgoers there (we teased ourselves about "skipping).  It was nice but a bit odd; normally I get to Mass early and see the sun come up through the stained glass windows.  Now, of course, it started light and got dark.  Odd.

Then it was home to catch up on stuff, read, do a spot of work, and wonder how much snow we are going to get.  I do not plan on going out tomorrow -- hence the whole Mass change -- but it is not going to be pleasant tomorrow with the wind, snow, and cold.  I was thinking about all of the people who do have to be out -- all the people at the grocery store, the gas station, the healthcare people, the road crews, the fast food and restaurant workers... on the one hand, a lot of these places don't need to be open, but on the hand, after a long day of snow-plowing and such, you might want to get out of the truck and have a meal.  Hard to close in such a scenario...hell, especially with the salt shortage.  I can see not salting until the snow stops, but...

Mattie posts

Behold the power of global warming!  It is going to be...cold, quite frankly, for the next week, especially tonight and tomorrow.  I got a blast of arctic air when the breeze hit me while tossing the apple core outside.  Yowzah.  It was a day of several cups of coffee and gladness that I did my windows.  Actually, I also thought how nice it was that I did the bathroom, too; between the two, the home is... more livable?  Certainly more comfortable -- no more running downstairs to shower, no more ice on the windows, no freezing bedroom.  Yes, I have to pay this down, but once it is....well, more to do.  At least the closets are cleaner and dustless. 

I was so busy at work this week that I didn't have time to watch J!, so tonight I made sure I watched Monday and Tuesday.  Questions are harder, and the categories on Tuesday were not my favorites, but I survived.  Anime isn't something I am going to start watching, if you get my drift. There is a weekend to watch the remainder, but this is something I do not want to continue.  The project is due next week, so...calmness might ensue then.  

Funny; I went through some emails and such, and I was like...well, this is nice, but then I looked at the pile of links bookmarked, and the books I have to read, and I was like...get to work.  I guess being shut in the house this weekend might put me on the path to that.   

Mattie eats out

Didn't post yesterday -- long day, and I decided to get out of the house and enjoy Cleveland Pierogi Week by going to the only place that did not have only potato-cheddar pierogi (which I do not like and are NOT Polish), Immigrant Son Brewing in Lakewood.  It's sort of off the beaten path, even for Lakewood, and the parking lot was a hot mess -- I should have realized that I and everyone else was going out on the one good night this week/month.  Anyways, I arrived and they were OUT OF CHICKEN PAPRIKASH PIEROGI.  Oi.  Anyways, I went with the breakfast pierogi and the goulash, and while it was good... it wasn't quite worth what I paid for it.  Of course, so is everything else nowadays, and there were some interesting things on the menu I would try if I did...  

I have to admit, the roads were fairly sketch on the way home; it was snowing and raining at the same time, and the roads weren't treated, so we were skidding about a bit on the way home.  Thankfully, few were on the roads, but... at least they were clear this morning.  And, of course, this weekend there will be cold weather and the mother of all snowstorms.  Sigh.  This is where at first career I would be asking people about this so-called global warming...

Funny; there has been a lot of stuff in the right-wing press about what is going on in VA now -- the new governor signing a bunch of interesting bills, to put it one way.  This could be me, but shouldn't the GOP here be working to capitalize on this?  Similarly, for states like CA and IL, making laws and crafting tax policies to attract residents and businesses from those states?  To be sure, while the legislature is at fault, where is the governor here?  He could certainly be in the lead here, or, even better, working with Vivek to get some stuff going on.  Considering we cannot even ban traffic cameras, I am not expecting much, but this is the sort of thing that would be easy to do, get publicity, etc...  It does we are just in cruise control, and to me that is the worst of all possible speeds...

Intrusions

So, off to the hematologist today to try and solve the anemia that has been the bete noire of my primary care physician.  The MD was nice and answered all my questions, which counts for something, nowadays; he has no idea why I have this anemia (Not related to diabetes or anything else).  He suspects it is more that I am not absorbing the iron I do intake, and the solution is... an iron infusion.  I told him I was not exactly a fan of yet another invasive procedure, but he assured me that I might need only one, or at least one for a few years.  So it is now in the hands of the insurer and the scheduler.  Or, I had better NOT need more than one, or I will be an unhappy camper.  Alas.

The Miami-KSU game was intense; KSU was down at the half, took the lead, lost it, Miami tied it late, and then won in OT.  Thought about going, but was busy at work -- had to make up the time -- and the good seats were sold out, and it was probably good I did not, as I had stuff to do.  Alas.  But watching it was close enough; you could tell there was a good and active crowd, the game was compelling, and now Miami's SOS went up to...363.

It pains me to say this, but I am not exactly sure what the end game is for POTUS with all of this talk of Greenland.  I would think that Denmark being part of NATO should be access enough -- both in terms of the military and its mineral resources (in so far as they are).  Mind you, the markets have settled as tariffs have receded, people see more price stability, and oil prices are fairly modest, as evinced by gas prices.  I am not opposed to gunboat diplomacy or adding territory, but...we must be highly judicious about it.  And when I think of "highly judicious," I think of Donald Trump...

vittorio on X: "Why Young Women Moved Left While Young Men Stayed Sane" / X
The author of this post is correct; one, I don't know how to solve this, either, and two, you defend your positions the more strenuously even if they are failing, because sometimes, that is all you have.  There are days I wonder why I am single, but after reading this one... today is not it.

Earmarks Are Back. So Are Republican Fights About Them. - NOTUS — News of the United States
Much like traffic cameras, I do not know why or how these are legal, and the fact any Republican supports them is beyond disgraceful...

Mattie Shivers

Took the blogging night off yesterday, as I crashed on the floor while reading and woke up at 1:30.  I guess I got a decent amount of sleep between the two rests -- one on the floor and one in bed -- which was good, as I needed it today.  Long day of work -- lots of meetings, then an online meeting with the MD's pharmacist to go over my prescriptions (2) and mineral supplements (2).  Ok, it was a bit more involved than that, but... and lots of work.  Trying to get the project done, lots of little things popping up, late data arrivals from elsewhere... I am hoping to finish a bunch of things tomorrow to facilitate many other things.  Oi.  

It is cold.  I mean, this is obvious, but I really felt it when throwing the apple core outside; it was cold and windy all day -- with some occasional snow showers -- and the snow seems to be over, now we have cold and wind.  I note that many schools already cancelled for tomorrow, and as much as I have "20 miles uphill both ways" syndrome, it does seem a bit rough to have kids out in -20 wind chills.  I know parents (some) have to scramble, but I cannot think that the alternative is any better...

Why Are Credit Card Rates So High? - A Wealth of Common Sense
You know, I don't quite buy this; I do to any extent but now, one would think they can model loss rates, bad debts, etc., and most of this is simply taking money from people who don't get it or why can't pay more than the minimums anyway.  Considering the profits large banks made -- and a significant share of said profits come from credit card users -- I think it is right and just that someone cracks down on this.  I find it is fascinating that it is a Republican suggesting it, which leads to wonder what exactly the CFPB and its minions are for.  I think it would be far more profitable -- politically and otherwise -- for POTUS to go to war with banks instead of Greenland, but what do I know...